In June 2010, the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations voted to create a Presidential Search Committee, composed of 5 elected members and 2 members appointed by the UUA Board. In Section 9.5 of the UUA Bylaws, they are charged:

The Presidential Search Committee shall submit no fewer than two nominations for the office of President for an election at the end of a presidential term or for a special election. The report of the Presidential Search Committee shall be announced by February 1 of the year before the General Assembly at which there is to be a presidential election, except in the case of a special election, in which case the report of the Presidential Search Committee shall be announced by December 10 of the year before the election.

Appointed or elected in 2013, the Presidential Search Committee members are:

Rev. Wayne Arnason

Rev. Joanna Fontaine Crawford

Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson-Doyle

Liz Jones

Rev. Dr. Michael Tino

Elandria Williams

Jacqui C. Williams

On October 25 – 26, the Presidential Search Committee (PSC) met in Chicago. Attending were committee members:

Wayne Arnason
Joanna Fontaine Crawford
Matthew Johnson-Doyle
Liz Jones
Michael Tino
Elandria Williams
Jacqui C. Williams

Additionally, Rev. Emily Gage met with the committee on October 25 as facilitator. Rev. Gage led the PSC through teambuilding discussions and covenant development.

The PSC put together a timeline for the work they will do over the next six years.  Notable dates include:

• 2013-2014: Collect Data and Feedback about the position of UUA President
• GA2014: Drafts of Job Description and Process of Nomination
• Fall 2014: Collect Feedback
• Dec 2014: Finalized Job Description and Process
• GA2015: Last possible date for G-rule changes on election practices
• July 2015: Applications Due
• Feb 1, 2016: Nominations Due
• GA2017: Election
• GA2018: Present Final Report

It was decided that leadership roles should rotate in two year blocks. Roles for the first two years:

Co-Chair for Outside Liaison & Budget: Matthew Johnson-Doyle

Co-Chair for Team Facilitation: Liz Jones

Communications Coordinator for External Communication: Joanna Fontaine Crawford

Recorder: Michael Tino

PSC members also were assigned a role on a task group:

General Assembly: Jacqui Williams

Election/Campaign Practices: Wayne Arnason and Matthew Johnson-Doyle

Job Description: Liz Jones and Joanna Fontaine Crawford

Process: Elandria Williams and Michael Tino

Meetings will continue monthly through conference/video calls. Next in-person meeting: May, 2014.

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The Presidential Search Committee met via conference call November 8, 2013. Present: Liz Jones (facilitator), Wayne Arnason, Joanna Fontaine Crawford, Matthew Johnson-Doyle, Michael Tino, Jacqui C. Williams

The Election/Campaign Practices task group has begun work on a draft of proposed rule changes. Campaign Finance Statements from the past 4 campaigns have been requested from the UUA Secretary, and the task group has been communicating with regional leads to get a sense of whether there will be regional meetings in the 2016-17 timeframe, in order to understand how to streamline candidate appearances. The task group has begun consulting with UUA Board members. The PSC believes a conversation with the Board about the job description of President and how it affects campaigning will be valuable.

A Workshop request has been submitted for GA; notification should be in December.

The Job Description task group presented their report of all mentions of President in the UUA by-laws and rules and a rough sketch of a process/timeline for developing the job description. There was discussion about the process and assignments for interviewing past-UUA presidents and others. It was agreed that a pertinent question in creating the job description is “What cannot be delegated to others?”

Arrangements for the December meeting and technical issues about the platform for sharing information internally and for conference calls were addressed.

The Presidential Search Committee met via conference call December 13, 2013. Present: Liz Jones (facilitator), Wayne Arnason, Joanna Fontaine Crawford, Matthew Johnson-Doyle, Jacqui C. Williams, Elandria Williams

Elandria Williams led the team in training on Zoho, a group management online tool that we will be using for internal communication, research, and timelines.

Elandria then went over the process report she and Michael sent out to the PSC before the meeting. There are two processes currently at issue: research and election. Key questions include:

For research: method of determining who receives surveys and interviews, how to collate information, how to do this all in a transparent manner, how to present information results from the research and to whom? It was noted that needed elements include consistency in what we ask people, and attention paid to how things are weighed. Methods of research will include interviews, open-ended surveys, and a short survey with closed-ended questions placed on the blog for anyone.

Discussions with Board members given us this caution: there is a danger of “job creep” in terms of the questions we ask. A broad range of questions is fine, but there is a limit to our job description. We are not a committee in charge of the election process. We may get information we can’t necessarily use, but we can pass on to someone else/some other committee.

On the question of whether the committee can put forward more than 2 candidates, it was discussed that there are rules already in place about an instant run-off if necessary.

Issues Related to the Job Description: Matthew will contact an expert about consulting with us about policy governance and how it affects the job description of President.

Campaign Finance and election Practice:

UUA Board Meeting: Agenda is full; we will not be at that meeting, we will aim for April meeting.

Wayne reported that they had a difficult time obtaining any official reports of campaign spending. Anecdotal memories of campaign spending should be adequate for considering a need for campaign reform. Wayne will contact previous presidents (or their campaign managers) for this information.

Main two issues:

* Escalating total amount spent on campaigns

* Individual cap on donations

One big argument against reform: that the president is responsible for fundraising and the campaign is “boot camp” to prove they know how to work with big donors.

No updates on GA – the list of approved workshops has not been released.

June 7, 2020 “Triumphalism in the Era of Trump” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

May 31, 2020 “What’s Going On” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

May 24, 2020 “Another Look at Memorial Day” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

May 17, 2020 “A Different Kind of Pandemic” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

May 11, 2020 “Living in Mythic Times” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

May 3, 2020 “Listen to the Silence” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

April 26, 2020 “Welcome to the Apocalypse” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

April 19, 2020 “It Takes a Virus” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

April 12, 2020 “Easter Sunday” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

April 5, 2020 “Sheltering in Place: A Passover Perspective” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

March 29, 2020 “Jesus in Washington: A Palm Sunday Reflection” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

March 22, 2020 “Love in the Time of Uncertainty” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

March 15, 2020 “Let’s Talk About Satan” – Rev. Paul Dodenhoff

The Presidential Search Committee met on 1/10/14 via conference call.

Present: Wayne Arnason, Joanna Fontaine Crawford, Matthew Johnson, Liz Jones, Michael Tino, Jacqui C. Williams

Absent: Elandria Williams (work emergency)

Process Observation: Jacqui

PSC discussed the Process-Job Description, making edits and additions. This will be used in interviewing current/former UUA presidents, moderators, and some UU organizations. Questions will be sent in written form to the people we’d like to interview, requesting written responses as a preferred mode of response, noting that we are open to having a phone interview instead of the written response or to augment the responses.  The list of persons and groups to contact was divided among PSC members. We will ask for responses back by April 18.

The next step will be to prepare the survey that will be used for other individuals and groups.  We will consider questions for the survey before next meeting.

There will be a policy governance briefing for PSC members on January 21, led by PG expert Laura Park of Unity Consulting. Materials concerning this will be sent to members before the meeting.

It was decided that the research done on campaign finance reform will be forwarded to the UUA Board for them to process the possibilities. The proposal crafted by Matthew and Wayne (with different possible campaign finance reforms) will be sent to the Board with an invitation to have a conversation about this.

We received an official acceptance for a GA workshop slot.

The next in-person meeting of the PSC will be in May, in Houston. Joanna is taking care of arrangements and Matthew will sent out info on booking flights, etc. before the Feb call.  We will start 11am on Friday, so many of us will need to fly in on Thursday.  We will be done by 3pm on Saturday.

The UUA Presidential Search Committee met 2/14/14 via conference call.

PSC members checked in on the assignments we took on at our last meeting, particularly the calls/emails that have been made with individuals and groups to gather feedback about the job description of UUA president. Deadline for all responses and interviews is April 18.

Members discussed the Policy Governance briefing; all present felt that it was extremely helpful, as was the introduction to the UUA Governance Manual.

We have not yet formally heard back from Jim Keys and the UUA Board regarding campaign finance and practices other than to acknowledge our letter.  It was reported to be on the agenda for one of their telephone meetings soon.

Elandria has submitted workshop information for General Assembly and requested an AV cart.

Matthew sent out some info on estimated costs and budget and reported that we are in good shape for our budget re: GA and our May meeting.

Once we have a firm time for the GA workshop, we will work out the schedule for when we will be meeting. It was noted anecdotally that it will be important to openly address rumors and assumptions at our GA workshop, as we are already seeing evidence of such. In addition to the public blog, members discussed inviting denominational press to cover our process a little bit to help dispel rumors and introduce our committee and our process.

Our in-person meeting will be May 16-17 in Houston; members are checking available flight times.

Liz covered the process observation for this meeting and checked in with quieter members.

The UUA Presidential Search Committee met 3/14/14 via conference call.

The PSC discussed the document on the topic of proposed campaign finance reform, prepared by Wayne and Matthew for submission to the UUA Board.  We clarified that the intent of the document is to offer the Board an option whereby the General Assembly doesn’t need to be involved in setting the exact numbers of campaign finances, as these might change over time.  Also discussed was making clear in the proposal our motivation in being involved with this topic: our concern in having the broadest possible pool of qualified candidates.

PSC members checked in on our progress on interviews and surveys for creating a Presidential job description; deadline for interview responses is April 18.

The PSC GA Workshop is scheduled for Thursday at 12:30pm.  Discussion was held concerning the content and the details (e.g. Powerpoint, who will bring the projector, etc.)

In May, the PSC will be meeting in Houston at Northwoods UU Church. Discussion was held concerning logistics.

Discussion was held concerning transparent communication and any publicity needs so that those who are interested can know what the PSC is doing. Members agreed to promote the Facebook PSC page; Matthew is also talking to UU World about a possible story.

The process check noted that we were able to move briskly but inclusively through the agenda.

The Presidential Search Committee met via Conference Call on April 18.

The PSC discussed issues around making our meetings open to the public. Liz shared an email from the Open UUA committee and her response, which was that we are in process with this, and operated somewhat analogous to the way a search committee in a church would work. Liz also shared the Moderator Search process with the PSC; theirs involved no public meetings.

Due to the need for privacy, especially on behalf of potential candidates, the PSC will set aside times in our meetings that are open for public observation. At this time, only “in person” meetings will be open to the public.

Our next “in person” meeting will be May 16-17 in Houston. Meetings will be held at First Unitarian-Museum District. Schedule:

Friday 9-5 with a lunch break. 3:00 – 5:00 open to public, with 10-15 minutes for public comment/questions.

Saturday: 9:00 start. 9:30 – 11 public observation.

Campaign Finance and Election Practice: The UUA Board’s suggestion is for campaign finance reform to be done as a rule, not a bylaw; they suggested this happen at GA 2015, not this summer.

The PSC reported on the research interviews about the job description. Most have been completed and the files will be shared so we can read them before the May meeting. At that meeting, a job description will be put together so that it may be shared at General Assembly for feedback.

The Presidential Search Committee (PSC) met in Houston on May 16 and 17 in Houston, TX at First Unitarian Universalist Church – Museum District.

Liz Jones, Michael Tino, Joanna Fontaine Crawford, Wayne Arnason, Matthew Johnson, Elandria Williams. Not pictured, Jacqui C. Williams.

The meeting agenda had both open public and closed times. During the open times, guests could observe the committee at work and a time was also set aside for public comment/questions. During the public times on both Friday and Saturday, there was one (different each day) observer.

LJ and JFC compiled things mentioned in interviews for the job description; the committee discussed these at length. Based on those interviews, a draft of the Job Description and Committee values around selecting candidates was created. The job description first will be shared publicly on Thursday, May 22, on the online UU webcast “The VUU,” and on https://uupresidentialsearch.wordpress.com/; it will also be included in the content of our workshop at GA. Anyone wishing to offer feedback on this draft should fill out the survey which will also be published on the Presidential Search blog.

EW prepared a summary document about the proposed selection process based on responses from the interviews. This was discussed and a rough outline was agreed upon. EW and MT will create a detailed process which will be shared publicly online and at General Assembly 2014. This will include our timeline, how to submit nominations, the application process, and when potential applicants can meet with the PSC.

Plans were made for General Assembly 2014. Our workshop is at 12:30-1:45 on Thursday in Omni Narragansett AB. We will ask for time during a plenary session for a report to the Assembly. We will also have a table outside of the exhibit hall for materials. These materials will include postcards with the ways to connect with us (survey link, hashtag, facebook page, blog address), and handouts with the job description, values statements and timeline/process.

Everything printed will also be available on the blog and Facebook in digital format.

We discussed ways to get out our information in an effort to encourage as many nominations and applications as possible. Ideas include a video, district and regional newsletters, a scheduled collegial conversation at Professional Days before GA 2015, a plenary report, a suite/time to meet with interested people, and a GA booth shared with the nominating committee.

Fall 2014 In-Person Meeting: Oct 24-25 in Atlanta.

The members of the Presidential Search Committee are stewards of a process, and not advocates for a particular outcome.  We acknowledge that there is a value in diversity of leadership, and we also maintain that in our process, we will consider people with regard to their qualifications.  We are committed to engaging in the conversation about what kind of leader our time calls for.  We invite people to nominate diverse candidates for this position in the context of our commitment to becoming an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, multicultural Association.

We are not limiting our qualifications to a particular type of leadership, but we expect that successful nominees will have been involved at some level in Unitarian Universalist leadership. We will be relying heavily on Unitarian Universalists to be the “eighth member” of our Committee, helping identify qualified leaders and encouraging them to apply.

We are committed to a process that is as open and transparent as possible, given the demands of confidentiality required for a personnel matter.  We also seek a process accountable to communities of people whose identities marginalize them in our society.  We intend that the criteria we use for selection will be public and that every member of the committee will review every application.

We solicit feedback on the following job description through this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/UUAPRESJOBSURVEY

President of the Unitarian Universalist Association

The President of the Unitarian Universalist Association is the public, spiritual, and executive leader of the UU movement and our association of congregations.

The President:
• Serves as the Executive under Policy Governance, with responsibility for interpreting the Association’s Ends as set by the Board.
— Accountable to the Board, which is the designee of the General Assembly, in relationship to Executive Limitations policies.
—  Acts as head of the UUA Staff.
—  Effectively manages and deploys the resources of the Association in service of the Ends.

• Serves as ex officio member of the UUA Board.

• Acts as the prophetic voice and face of Unitarian Universalism.
—  Speaks to Unitarian Universalists and on our behalf.
—  Represents Unitarian Universalism in the public square and with other faith leaders.

• Extends and strengthens Unitarian Universalist institutions.
—  Inspires generosity rooted in Unitarian Universalist values and relationships.
—  Provides a pastoral and ceremonial presence in support of beloved community.

• Provides leadership for the Association’s Ends of transforming power, privilege and oppression.

Our ideal candidates will:
• Be able to authentically and accountably represent and embody the whole of our movement and its diverse members.
— Have a broad, intersectional cultural competence and a commitment to grow and develop it.
— In personal and professional relationships, embody standing on the side of the love.

• Live a liberal religious spiritual life in word, deed, and personal practice.

• Be resilient with a strong sense of self and an established support network.

• Be capable of engaging with power, money, and people who hold them.

• Be passionate about Unitarian Universalism, its institutions and covenanted communities.
— Have a vision for the growth of our movement.

• Be a faithful risk-taker in service to a compelling vision

Potential nominees must be:
• A member in good standing of a UUA member congregation.
• Able to travel extensively.
• Able to spend a significant amount of time in Boston.
• At least 18 years of age.

Our ideal candidates will possess the following skills, knowledge and attributes:

• Excellent written and oral communication.

• Impressive leadership skills, including especially the ability to manage a complex organization, delegate to others, and assess and plan for effective work.

• An understanding of systems theory and organizational development
— Understands both the explicit and implicit ways the Association works

• Ability to inspire others, including (but not limited to) staff, donors, and leaders.

• Emotional and pastoral intelligence and good listening skills.

• Talented ordained or lay preacher.

The Presidential Search Committee (PSC) met June 13 via conference call.

The PSC had a conversation about confidentiality in our search process. We are in the position of needing to balance transparency to our denomination with the confidentiality that is naturally required in personnel issues. We decided to try and always articulate our expectations of one another and of those we engage in conversation with, e.g. references. The expectation should be that anything with a name on it should be explicitly confidential, and other things that we expect to be confidential should be explicitly flagged as such.

GA Workshop:
#230
Presidential Search Committee Hearing
Thursday 12:30 pm Omni Narragansett AB

The PSC discussed the upcoming General Assembly and reviewed the agenda and the PowerPoint presentation for our workshop. EW is making handouts and cards and we will be sharing a booth with the Commission on Social Witness. MJ will have buttons so that we are easily identifiable. We discussed our plenary report and set times for when we will meet at GA.

Our next phone call: Friday, July 11. Next in-person meeting: October 24-25, Atlanta GA

The Presidential Search Committee (PSC) met August 15, 2014 via Conference Call.

Confidentiality: We discussed the confidentiality statement, previously drafted. There was consensus on adopting it. This will be posted separately on the blog for easy dissemination via social media. It was agreed that we will not discuss with people outside of the committee who has and has not been suggested or who has and has not applied for consideration. We will begin reference checks with one agreed-upon statement around expectations both of us, and of the person providing the reference.

General Assembly 2015: MJ will confirm that the PSC is on the agenda. At our meeting in October, we will discuss details such as the need for a workshop, booth or suite, etc.

Resolution on President as Spiritual Leader: Someone outside the committee informed us that there was a resolution in the 1970s that was passed by the General Assembly, saying that the President was not the spiritual leader of the Association. We are further researching this, but have not yet found any substantiating documents.

Future meetings:
September 12: phone. Viewing draft of nominating process.
October 24-25: in person, Atlanta. Main agenda: Finalizing job description and process.
Spring: San Diego

In our published Values Statement, the Presidential Search Committee has said:

“We are committed to a process that is as open and transparent as possible, given the demands of confidentiality required for a personnel matter.”

This statement is intended to unpack these demands of confidentiality. The minutes and blog statements of the PSC are reviewed and approved by all members. The PSC speaks with one voice, and individual members do not make public or private statements on behalf of the Committee without authorization.

The members of the PSC will share with each other the information gathered in private and individual conversations with potential Presidential candidates and their references.
We promise that:

• We will not release outside the PSC membership any transcripts, notes, or recordings of conversations with individuals we contact about a possible candidacy.
• We will not release outside the PSC membership any transcripts, notes, or recordings of conversations with any references we are asked by potential candidates to contact, or any individuals we decide to contact for discussion about any possible candidates.
• We will ask for and expect that people we talk to about potential candidates will hold our conversations with them confidential. For members of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association, we will request in advance the same standard of confidentiality that ministers observe in counseling situations. In conversations with people who are not UUMA members, we will ask that our conversations remain confidential.

The October Book Selection is “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe. The Reading Circle will meet at the home of Sally Cummings on October 29 at 7:30 p.m. Please contact Sally at 201-816- 8841 for directions.

About the book (an excerpt from Amazon):

Things Fall Apart tells two intertwining stories, both centering on Okonkwo, a “strong man” of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first, a powerful fable of the immemorial conflict between the individual and society, traces Okonkwo’s fall from grace with the tribal world. The second, as modern as the first is ancient, concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of Okonkwo’s world with the arrival of aggressive European missionaries. These perfectly harmonized twin dramas are informed by an awareness capable of encompassing at once the life of nature, human history, and the mysterious compulsions of the soul.

If you choose to purchase the book please usew the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale will benefit the congregation.

The Presidential Search Committee met September 12, 2014 via conference call.

Next firm meeting will be in person October 24-25 in Atlanta. Oct. 10 is being held as a possible conference call if needed.
Meeting in Atlanta will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta. Tentative plans for a Spring meeting in San Diego were discussed, pending outcome of Atlanta meeting and confirmation of process timeline.

Jacqui C. Williams will represent the PSC at the UUA Board meeting October 17. We are on the agenda for 45 minutes to invite the Board into a conversation about the draft job description. The draft process outline will also be shared for information purposes. Additionally, there is still the open question of the campaign finance rule change that needs to be placed on the GA2015 agenda.

Elandria Williams and Michael Tino submitted a draft of a process, including application and interview questions. This will be discussed at our Atlanta meeting to finalize it.

Also discussed: the need for criminal background checks for finalists. Minister and DRE credentialing and UUA employment require it. If we do this, we need to have a clear understanding of what would disqualify someone from the position. Matthew Johnson will research what the UUA does for employees to have as a reference point.

Rough draft of application was discussed, especially around providing links to items referenced in application, e.g. Ends Statements. Process for nominating someone was discussed.

Question for Fall meeting agenda: What are the standards by which we will judge candidates (what is our rubric)?

Update on President as Spiritual Leader: We followed up on the suggestion that the GA had voted years ago to limit the President’s role as spiritual leader, but could find no reference to this. Unless someone is willing to dig through the archives for GA minutes from the 1970s, we’re at a loss with that.

Prior to Atlanta meeting, the PSC will study in detail the results of the job description survey results.

Friday, October 24

9:00 AM Closed Session

2:00  –  Open Session: visitors welcome to observe

4:45 – Public Comment

5:00 adjourn for evening

Saturday – October 25

9:00 AM Gathering

9:30 Open Session

11:00 Closed Session

October 24-25, 2014, In-Person meeting
Unitarian Universalist Church of Atlanta, GA
Present: Wayne Arnason, Joanna Fontaine Crawford, Matthew Johnson, Liz Jones, Michael Tino, Elandria Williams, Jacqui Williams.

UUA Board Meeting Report

Jacqui gave us an update on her report to the UUA Board last week.  They discussed the Board’s concerns about working with a president who will be charged with implementing Ends policies that they did not create.  We will need to be intentional about how we put the job description and application out, understanding that it describes an ideal candidate and encouraging people who come close to it to apply.

Susan Ritchie found the resolution brought to the General Assembly, and sent it to Matthew.  What actually happened was that a motion was made from the floor at the 1976 GA saying that the President is the spiritual leader of our Association, and it failed.  We see no implication for our work in this.

Here is what Susan sent us:

“We know that Conrad Wright published a statement that the 1976 GA rejected a proposal to define the President as the spiritual leader of the Association.  I therefore imagined I had this resolution, given I have all the GA minutes.

“Yet the 1976 GA Minutes show no such resolution.  Those minutes do show the rejection of a proposal to eliminate both the position of Moderator (so that the Board could appoint its own chair) and that of President (so that the Board could appoint its own CEO).  This proposal was not a part of resolution coming from the delegates or congregations, but was the result of a report of a subcommittee of the board.  The board itself, in presenting to GA, endorsed the subcommittee recommendation regarding Moderator, not the President.  Apparently a compromise was suggested from the GA floor that would define the President as the Spiritual not Administrative leader (still allowing the board to have a CEO).  And apparently that conversation got rather bogged down in humanist concerns about ‘spiritual.’  Anyway, all proposals were struck down.”

Survey Results

We discussed the results of our job description survey and highlighted things we need to discuss.  We received 65 responses to our survey.  We are very appreciative of all of the thoughtful responses.  We noted that a lot of the comments came from a small handful of respondents.

Job Description

We discussed the job description, focusing on the items highlighted in our discussion of survey results.

We noted that some of the concerns are beyond our control, mainly because they’re in our By-Laws.  This included President as CEO, necessity of President to be a member in good standing of a UUA member congregation, and the location of our Headquarters in Boston.

Some notes we made: we should hyperlink the Job Description and application to things like the Ends policies, the By-laws and other hard-to-find documents.

The finalized job description will be posted on https://uupresidentialsearch.wordpress.com/ separate from this report.

Conflict of Interest Policy

We were asked to sign the UUA Conflict of Interest Policy to indicate our understanding of it.  We discussed the policy and how it relates to our work.

We agreed that we would internally disclose all personal and professional relationships with applicants and, as a committee, discuss whether those relationships would make us biased, as per the policy.  In such a case, we would report that relationship to the Moderator and ask for permission to consider the candidate (with or without the conflicted person recused).

We agreed that in the earliest stages of considering candidates we would rely on recusal as an effective method of avoiding conflicts of interest.
We expressed concerns about the confidentiality of the process as well as the public perception of the process, and intend to hold ourselves to high standards with respect to both of those.

Presidential Pay

Harlan Limpert will get us the pay scale for President, a piece of information that several people requested.

Selection Process

We discussed the selection process, beginning with questions about the behavior of applicants between when they apply and when nominations are made and about appropriate campaign practices and guidelines.  Several of us had received questions about these things. Our finalized process and guidelines will be posted on https://uupresidentialsearch.wordpress.com/ separate from this report.

We will ask the Board to propose amendments to Rule G-9.13.7 that bring its timeline into agreement with the charge of our committee, disallowing fundraising or public campaigning before February 1 of the year preceding election. We should make sure that our nominees have the ability to create events and have booths at GA2016 if the deadline is Jan 31.

GA2015

We need booth, a suite and a program book ad for GA2015. New guidelines mean we cannot share a booth, so we’ll need our own.

Upcoming Meetings

Phone: We moved our next phone meeting to Friday, November 21 at Noon EST/11am CST/9am PST.

In-Person: We decided to cancel our in-person meeting for April and go to San Diego next fall instead.  Tentatively scheduled for October 1-2 (arrive on September 30).

Next Steps In Application Process

Elandria Williams and Michael Tino will create the online form and submission process by November 1.

Communication from This Meeting

MJ and MT are willing and able to go on The VUU to discuss the application process.  Date TBD.

We will also disseminate the information from this meeting through the blog, Facebook, email lists, and personal channels.  Matthew Johnson will talk to UUA (website, UUWorld).  The rest of us will contact the people and organizations we interviewed.

Finalized 10/25/14 by the Presidential Search Committee

The President of the Unitarian Universalist Association is the primary public and spiritual leader of Unitarian Universalism and the executive leader of our Association.

The President:

• Serves as the Executive under Policy Governance, with responsibility for interpreting and implementing the Association’s Ends as set by the Board.
  • Accountable to the Board, which is the designee of the General Assembly, in relationship to Executive Limitations policies.
  • Acts as head of the UUA Staff.
  • Effectively manages and deploys the resources of the Association in service of the Ends.
• Serves as ex officio, non-voting member of the UUA Board.
• Acts as the prophetic voice and the face of Unitarian Universalism.
  • Speaks to Unitarian Universalists and on our behalf.
  • Represents Unitarian Universalism in the public square and with other faith leaders.
• Extends and strengthens Unitarian Universalist institutions.
  • Inspires generosity rooted in Unitarian Universalist values.
  • Builds, nurtures, and sustains strategic relationships.
  • Plays a leadership role in UUA fundraising.
  • Provides a pastoral and ceremonial presence in support of beloved community.
• Provides leadership for the Association’s Ends of transforming power, privilege and oppression.

Our ideal candidates will:

• Be able to authentically and accountably represent the whole of our movement and its diverse members.
  • Have a broad, intersectional cultural competence and a commitment to grow and develop it.
  • Seek out the wisdom and experience of those often unseen and unheard.
• In personal and professional relationships, conduct themselves ethically and with integrity, seek justice and right relations, and engage with others compassionately.
• Live a liberal religious spiritual life in word, deed, and personal practice.
• Be resilient with a strong sense of self and an established support network.
• Be capable of engaging with power, money, and people who hold them.
• Be passionate about Unitarian Universalism, its institutions and covenanted communities.
  • Have a vision for the growth of our movement.
• Be a faithful risk-taker in service to a compelling vision

Our ideal candidates will possess the following skills, knowledge and attributes:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including an understanding of the evolving landscape of communication technology and media.
• Impressive leadership skills, including especially the ability to manage a complex organization, delegate to others, and assess and plan for effective work.
• An understanding of systems theory and organizational development
  • Understands both the explicit and implicit ways the Association works
• Ability to inspire others, including (but not limited to) staff, donors, and leaders.
• Emotional and pastoral intelligence and good listening skills.
• Talented ordained or lay preacher.

Potential nominees must be:

• A member in good standing of a UUA member congregation (per UUA By-Laws).
• Able to travel extensively.
• Able to spend a significant amount of time in Boston.
• At least 18 years of age (per MA law).

—–

Helpful Links:

Finalized 10/25/14

Applications and Suggestions

On November 1, 2014, we will begin accepting applications from people who wish to be considered for our nomination. In addition, we will publicly solicit suggestions of people whom we should invite to submit applications. In collecting these suggestions, we will ask for names and contact information of the potential applicants. All people suggested to us will be sent information on the application process.

We encourage those who suggest names to talk directly with the people they would like to run. Members of the committee will also directly encourage people to apply; all applications will be treated equally once they are submitted.

Application (Due July 15^th, 2015)

We will ask for basic information in a web-based form. In addition, applicants will be required to do the following:

Submit a resume, with a cover letter describing why you are applying and why you believe you are qualified for the position. Please include contact information for three references who know you from a variety of settings. Please also submit a sermon you have given (both written and audio/video if possible).

In addition, please answer the following questions (four pages maximum, total):

• What do you see as the optimal relationship between Unitarian Universalist congregations/covenanted communities and our Association headquarters?
• How would you be a prophetic, public voice of Unitarian Universalism?
• What is your vision for achieving the Association’s Ends concerning transforming power, privilege and oppression?
• Describe your personal spiritual practice and sources of resilience.

Guidelines for Applicants

Applicants will be asked to agree to the following guidelines:

The Presidential Search Committee believes that our charge and process were part of an effort to create a different kind of democratic process and election for President of the UUA, one that is less expensive, more transparent, and more accesible than those in the past. Therefore, the Committee discourages candidates from public electioneering of any kind before release of our nominations on February 1, 2016, notwithstanding the current provisions of Rule G9.13.7. Failure to observe this expectation will be detrimental to one’s application for nomination.

The Committee, per UUA By-Laws, is obligated to nominate at least two candidates for the 2017 UUA presidential election. Potential applicants should enter this process with the understanding that nominees will need to run a campaign for election.

The Committee will have opportunities for potential applicants to discuss with us their discernment regarding submitting an application, including at General Assembly 2015. Involvement in such opportunties will have no bearing (positively or negatively) on the consideration of one’s application. Once applications are submitted, Committee members will not discuss applications outside of the formal process.

Interview Questions

We will give our finalists these questions ahead of time, and conduct video chat interviews that are recorded for all of the committee to look at.

• Why do you want to be the President of the UUA?
• How would you deploy Association resources to best serve potential Unitarian Universalists and those who identify as UU but are not members of congregations or covenanted communities?
• Describe a time in which you had to inspire people to overcome a difficult situation.
• What would you say to a potential major donor to convince them to donate to the UUA?
• How would the diversity of our movement be reflected in your priorities as President?
• We’re looking at the many ways in which the UUA President needs to relate to power—from advocacy to fundraising to ceremonial and positional power. Given that, how do you claim power for yourself? How do you engage with people who themselves hold a great deal of power?
• Describe a healthy organizational culture and something you’ve done to help create one.
• Have you engaged in personal or professional behavior that is in significant opposition to contemporary Unitarian Universalist ethical standards? If so, what does the Search Committee need to know?
• Understanding that the role of President makes you a public religious figure, is there anything in your past that you feel the Search Committee needs to know about?
• Plus 1 or 2 others that will be individualized for the candidate

Timeline and Process for Making Our Decisions

• Completed applications must be received by the committee on or before July 15, 2015. We will confirm receipt of applications when they are complete.
• Before our August, 2015 conference call, PSC members will rank their top 5 and bottom 5 applicants based on the rubric to be developed.
• At our August, 2015 conference call, we will decide which candidates to do initial reference checks on.
• Initial reference checks should be completed by our September, 2015 conference call.
• At our Fall 2015 meeting (October, 2015), we will choose people to interview. Interviews will be conducted by video chat that can be recorded so that all PSC members can watch all interviews. We will also do a deeper reference dive on interview finalists (contacting people not on their reference list).
• Finalists will be asked to submit to a comprehensive background check.
• January 2016: In-person meeting, possibly to include live interviews with several top finalists, in order to finalize nominations.
• We will attempt to reach a consensus among committee members on nominating each of the final candidates, using modified consensus process. If that process does not result in at least two nominees, we will vote yes or no on the remaining finalists and nominate any candidate with 5 of 7 yes votes. If we still do not have at least two nominees, we’ll discuss.

The book selected for December is Listening to Country: A Journey to the Heart of What It Means to Belong by Ros Moriaty.  We will meet on December 15 at 7:30 pm at the home of Sally Cummings. Call Sally at 201-816-8841 for directions.

An excerpt from Good Reads:

From a trip made by the author to the Australian desert to spend time learning the secrets and hearing the stories of her husband’s family’s matriarchs, comes a warm, intimate account providing rare insight into the spiritual and emotional world of Aboriginal women

An excerpt from Amazin:

“Ros Moriarty is a white woman married to an Aboriginal man. Over the course of many visits to her husband’s family, she was fascinated to discover that the older tribal women had a deep sense of happiness and purpose that transcended the abject material poverty, illness and increasing violence of their community – a happiness that she feels is related to an essential ‘warmth of heart’ that these women say has gone missing in today’s world.

In May 2006, she had the chance to spend time in the Tanami Desert in northern central Australia with 200 Aboriginal women, performing women’s Law ceremonies. Listening to Country is the story of that trip and her friendship with these women, as she tells their stories and passes on their wisdom and understanding.

Offering a privileged window into the spiritual and emotional world of Aboriginal women, this book is a moving story of common human experience, the getting and passing on of wisdom, and the deep friendship and bonds between women. It carries a moving and profound sense of optimism in the fundamental humanity we all share.

Full of warmth, honesty and insight, Listening to Country shares a rare and vivid insight into the lives, wisdom, humour and difficulties of the lives of Aboriginal women – right here, right now.”

If you choose to buy this book please consider using the link to Amazon on this website. A portion of the sale will benefit the congregation.

The Presidential Search Committee met November 21, 2014, via conference call.
Ad and booth reservations for General Assembly are will be done by January deadline.

Disseminating information about the presidential search process:

Forms were created with specific URLs:
• Suggestions: bit.ly/uuapressuggest
• Applications: bit.ly/uuapresapp
• Job Description: bit.ly/uuapresjob
• Process Description: bit.ly/uuapresprocess

Information has been shared on our blog and Facebook page. Additionally, LREDA has received notice, Michael and Matthew will be on The Vuu December 11, and there will be an article in the retired UU Ministers’ newsletter in January. We will each contact the people/groups we contacted in the first round of information gathering interviews to share the information with them, Wayne and Matthew will try to organize a conversation at the UUMA Institute, Matthew will notify UU World and Districts/Regions for their newsletters. Jacqui will investigate using the “event” option on Facebook.

The content of the letter that will be sent to those whose names were/are submitted for consideration was approved. We reviewed suggestions that have been made and added a few names to the previous list.

We had a discussion concerning overheard/seen conversations concerning desired demographics for the candidates and whether a statement in addition to the one we released last spring was called for. This will be further discussed at the December meeting. The statement from last spring:

The members of the Presidential Search Committee are stewards of a process, and not advocates for a particular outcome. We acknowledge that there is a value in diversity of leadership, and we also maintain that in our process, we will consider people with regard only to their qualifications. We are committed to engaging in the conversation about what kind of leader our time calls for. We encourage people to nominate diverse candidates for this position in the context of our commitment to becoming an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, multicultural Association.

Due to time limits, we tabled some items to the next agenda, including the rubric as well as discussing what (if anything) we would say to a potential candidate about the other people running.

Blog Report January 2015

Methods of meeting: We need different ways of meeting according to the needs of the meeting. We will make a decision month by month – the default will be meeting via conference call. We will use Fuse if we need to look at documents at the same time. If we feel that we will be discussing something controversial within the committee, we will look at using Google Hangouts or another way to see each other’s face.

Status of list of recommendations and any applications: looks like 53 entries on spreadsheet, seems like around 39 names. No applications yet.

Contacting people we interviewed: We will each contact the people or groups we spoke to when creating the job description to point them to candidate recommendations and the application process.

January UUA Board Meeting: Matthew will be meeting with them online to discuss campaign finance rules. He will also request that they give us guidance about the compensation range, and encourage them to submit suggestions and/or apply.

General Assembly: Jacqui needed social media information, e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc. Matthew will send logo. She will request that our booth be near the nominating booth. Jacqui has requested information about reserving a suite for PSC use.

Background checks: criminal background checks will be done in last stages of nominating process. We’ll need to have a separate conversation about what information would disqualify a potential candidate.

Any other Business: Matthew and Wayne will have “meetup” conversations with people at the UUMA Institute.

Conversations: MJ and WA scheduled a meet-up at the UUMA Institute at Asilomar.  It was a small group and a good conversation.  One person talked with WA about potentially applying, and 4-5 people in different places of discernment talked with MJ.

Recommendations and Applications: No new suggestions since last meeting (total is now 45).  All people suggested have received invitations to apply.  No one has yet formally put their name in yet as an applicant, though many people have indicated that they will do so, or are still in discernment about it.  A number of people have responded to MT with thanks for being included.

General Assembly: We will have a suite at General Assembly where interested applicants can have a private conversation with members of the PSC, ask questions, etc. We will have a booth in the exhibitor hall. At the booth, we’ll have our identifying banner, a postcard with links and deadlines, information about the suite “office hours” and a private way to sign up for them, probably a Google doc shared only amongst the PSC members.  At our next meeting, we will schedule office hours times, and our private PSC meetings. PSC will have time to give a plenary report; exact time not set. We should also be present for the rule amendment re: presidential financing.

Background Checks: The UUA HR department will administer the background checks.  MJ will include the cost of this in our budget request. The PSC will ensure that there privacy of both the identity of the potential candidates and the results of the checks will be assured.

Conversations: We shared about conversations we’ve had with people interested in the Search process, at various UU events. One topic has been on the possibility of more than two candidates. In our May meeting, MT will offer a primer on instant runoff voting, per the UUA bylaws, so that we may better answer the questions of potential candidates and others.

Recommendations and Applications: One new suggestion (a few repeats) since last meeting (total is now 46). All people suggested have received invitations to apply. No one has yet formally put their name in yet as an applicant.

General Assembly: Meeting space is lined up. EW will follow up with the GA Staff to get a list of times that we can book people for conversations in that room, also to get the number and location of that room. Our plenary report will be scheduled for early in the General Assembly; EW and MT will give the report.

Ad deadline is Monday for program book—JW will take care of this. Pertinent information:

• there is a new process that involves a nominating committee
• our timeline (applications due July 15, nominations will be announced Feb 1)
• nominating committee is available to talk with people considering applying
• visit our booth for more info or to sign up for an appointment

Rubric: We talked about a process that WA knows to look at the job description and decide which things are most important to us—individually and collectively.

Campaign Finance: The Board is recommending to the delegates campaign finance limits, both for individual donations ($5K) and total fundraising ($100K), with no limit on in-kind donations but a requirement to report it.

Committee Budget: We talked about our budget. We spent more on the Atlanta meeting than we had anticipated. MJ reported that we might go over our budget. We should be careful with spending at GA, and we can still come in at budget.

Next Meeting: Our next phone meeting will be Friday, May 8, skipping an April meeting (noon Eastern/11am Central/9am Pacific).

The Many Voices Reading Circle will meet at the home of Sally Cummings on May 12 at 7:30 p.m. Please call Sally at (201) 816- 8841 for directions.

The Book selection is  “The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother”  by James McBride.

An excerpt from Amazon:

“Who is Ruth McBride Jordan? A self-declared “light-skinned” woman evasive about her ethnicity, yet steadfast in her love for her twelve black children. James McBride, journalist, musician, and son, explores his mother’s past, as well as his own upbringing and heritage, in a poignant and powerful debut, The Color Of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother.

The son of a black minister and a woman who would not admit she was white, James McBride grew up in “orchestrated chaos” with his eleven siblings in the poor, all-black projects of Red Hook, Brooklyn. “Mommy,” a fiercely protective woman with “dark eyes full of pep and fire,” herded her brood to Manhattan’s free cultural events, sent them off on buses to the best (and mainly Jewish) schools, demanded good grades, and commanded respect. As a young man, McBride saw his mother as a source of embarrassment, worry, and confusion—and reached thirty before he began to discover the truth about her early life and long-buried pain……..

In The Color of Water, McBride retraces his mother’s footsteps and, through her searing and spirited voice, recreates her remarkable story.

Interspersed throughout his mother’s compelling narrative, McBride shares candid recollections of his own experiences as a mixed-race child of poverty, his flirtations with drugs and violence, and his eventual self- realization and professional success. The Color of Water touches readers of all colors as a vivid portrait of growing up, a haunting meditation on race and identity, and a lyrical valentine to a mother from her son.”

If you choose to purchase this book please use the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale benefits the Congregation.

General Assembly: PSC private meetings were set for Thursday morning and Saturday morning during the plenary sessions.

We are also arranging times when persons who are considering applying may meet with some of the PSC to ask questions to help in their discernment. The purpose of these meetings is solely to answer questions of potential applicants; as such, it is not necessary for every PSC member to be there. We will attempt to have at least 3 PSC members present for each meeting.

We will have a booth in the exhibit hall. There, we will have information cards giving the links to information about the application process. Additionally, those interested in meeting with members of the PSC as part of their discernment will be able to sign up for meeting times.

The PSC will present a report at Plenary. Michael Tino and Elandria Williams will send out a draft to PSC members. Report will focus on where we are in the process and making sure people apply.

Timeline: Discussion was held around potentially changing our timeline to accommodate the fact that ministers will need time to tell their congregations if they are nominated. We expect to make a decision by December that will be made public on Feb. 1.

We also discussed moving our Sept 30-Oct 2 meeting to a more central location for interviews, and perhaps expanding the length of time. We deferred a final decision until all PSC members have reviewed this new information.

Applications and Interest: No formal applications have yet been received (nor were expected.) Several people have indicated an interest in talking to us at General Assembly.

Rubric: A rubric document outlining the job description was sent out by Matthew Johnson. At GA, we will assign primary responsibilities for each area of attention.

Social Media: Joanna Crawford will post a link to the proposed interview questions and invite readers to suggest additional questions for applicants.

Budget: Budgets were cut mid-year. We are projected to slightly exceed our budget this year; members were requested to try to keep GA expenses limited.

The Presidential Search Committee met in closed session to discuss applicants.

The Presidential Search Committee met in closed session to discuss applicants.

The Presidential Search Committee met in closed session by phone on September 14 to discuss our upcoming interviews with finalists.

The Many Voices Reading Circle will meet at the home of Sally Cummings on November 10, at 7:30 p.m. Please call Sally at 201-816-8841 for directions.

The book selection is:

Fast Times in Palestine: A Love Affair with a Homeless Homeland by Pamela J Olson

Excerpt from Amazon:

“For much of her life—like many Westerners—most of what Pamela Olson knew of the Middle East was informed by headlines and stereotypes. But when she traveled to Palestine in 2003, she found herself thrown with dizzying speed into the realities of Palestinian life.

Fast Times in Palestine is Olson’s powerful, deeply moving account of life in Palestine—both the daily events that are universal to us all (house parties, concerts, barbecues, and weddings) as well as the violence, trauma, and political tensions that are particular to the country. From idyllic olive groves to Palestinian beer gardens, from Passover in Tel Aviv to Ramadan in a Hamas village, readers will find Olson’s narrative both suspenseful and discerning. Her irresistible story offers a multi-faceted understanding of the Palestinian perspective on the Israel–Palestine conflict, filling a gap in the West’s understanding of the difficult relationship between the two nations.

At turns funny, shocking, and galvanizing, Fast Times in Palestine is a gripping narrative that challenges our ways of thinking—not only about the Middle East, but about human nature, cultural identity, and our place in the world.”

If you choose to purchase this book please do so by selecting the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sales will benefit the congregation.

The Presidential Search Committee met in October and conducted in-person interviews of potential candidates.

The Presidential Search Committee met in executive session by phone on November 5, 2015 to discuss candidate finalists.

The Presidential Search Committee met in closed session to discuss our finalists. An announcement of our nominees will be forthcoming on or about February 1.

Over the last 2 and half years, the Presidential Search Committee has engaged in a deep discernment process about the way we select the President of our Association, the work of that person, and who we would nominate for this monumental job. Our task was set by the delegates to the General Assembly, in response to longstanding desires of our movement for a process that was more democratic, inclusive, and spiritually grounded. We are incredibly proud of the work we’ve done, and we are on schedule to announce our nominees by the deadline of Feb. 1st, 2016.

Yet our process and the intent of the delegates and the board has now entered dangerous waters. We are dismayed that some information about our decision-making process regarding our nominees has become a subject of gossip among people who should not have any information as yet. We need every Unitarian Universalist to commit to stopping this gossip in place. If this is impossible, we will be forced to move up the timetable for our formal announcement and abandon the proposed start date of the election campaign affirmed by the Board and voted by the General Assembly when the Presidential Search Committee was created.

The timetable for the formal beginning of any campaign is February 1, 2016, the date by which we are obligated to release the names of our nominees. This timing is particularly important to parish ministers who put in candidacy applications. Out-loud gossip, presumptions, detective work, and deductions by process of elimination will almost certainly violate the privacy and confidentiality we offered to all candidates, and make more difficult the process of notification that a congregation with a ministerial candidate for President is entitled to have. Our UUMA guidelines require ministers, in particular, to respect the integrity of the call.

In these next few months, we need your help to maintain the integrity of our process, protect the current ministries and congregations of our nominees, and keep our covenant together. We ask anyone who has been given information by anyone, whether they are entitled to knowledge about our decision-making process or not, to cease and desist from public or private gossip. We ask President Morales, in particular, to immediately notify his staff that they are to cease and desist from any public or private speculation about the nominees we are putting forward.

We recognize that people who have been given information about where we are in our process, whether they are our nominees or not, are in discernment and planning for themselves. We believe that this conversation can and should be limited to a very small group of campaign advisors who are willing and able to maintain confidentiality.

This first time through the Presidential Search Committee process has, in our view, gone very well thus far. To have this process degenerate into a gossip-driven “false start” to the campaign period which violates the agreements and limits made by the General Assembly would be a shame, and will result in some serous re-evaluation of the process. As is, our final report to the delegates, after the 2017 election, will surely include recommendations to address this issue.

We will be very excited to tell you about our nominees on, or before, February 1st, 2016. We believe they are wonderful people and leaders. The conversation they will lead and encourage over the next 16 months will be vitally important for our future. We hope their vision, their plans, and their presence will delight, engage, and even surprise you. But until then, we offer you a special invitation to the advent season of patient expectation. Enjoy your holidays, and you’ll hear from us in the New Year.

The Many Voices Reading Circle will meet on February 17, at 7:30 p.m.  The discussion will take place at the home of Sally Cummings. Please contact Sally at (201) 816-8841 for directions.

The book selection:  “When the Elephants Dance”, by  Tess Uriza Holthe

From Publishers Weekly:

“Papa explains the war like this,” narrates 13-year-old Alejandro as he heads through a series of Japanese barricades and check points. ” `When the elephants dance, the chickens must be careful.’ The great beasts, as they circle one another, shaking the trees and trumpeting loudly, are the Amerikanos and the Japanese as they fight. And our Philippine Islands? We are the small chickens.” Inspired by her father, who grew up in the Philippines under the Japanese occupation during WWII, first-time novelist Holthe writes about the experience from a variety of civilian perspectives. Set in Manila during the final week of the Japanese-American battle for control of the islands, the novel centers on a small, mismatched group of families and neighbors who huddle in a cellar while Japanese occupiers terrorize and pillage above. Because food and water are scarce, some of the refugees must leave the shelter to forage for sustenance. In simple, strong language, Holthe conveys the terrifying experience of darting bullets and machetes above ground and the equally horrendous experience of waiting for loved ones to return. Grounded in Philippine myth and culture, the novel is filled with beautiful, allegorical stories told by the story’s elders, who try to share wisdom and inspire their captive audience in the midst of gruesome violence. Primarily narrated by Alejandro; his older, headstrong sister, Isabelle; and Domingo, a guerrilla commander living a double life one with his family in the cellar, the other with his true love and adopted son in his rebel army this beautiful, harsh war story is no epic. Rather, Holthe presents personal, pointed fragments that clearly demonstrate history’s cultural and personal fallout.

If you choose to purchase this book please use the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale benefits the congregation.

The Many Voices reading Circle will meet on April 12 at 7:30. The discussion will take place at the home of Sally Cummings. Please call Sally for directions: 201-816-8841.

If you choose to purchase this book please consider using the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale will benefit the congregation.

The book selected is: fathermothergod: My Journey Out of Christian Science   by Lucia Greenhouse

Something to ponder today.

The words of Marcus Aurelius ring true for those of us today as we consider the inter-dependence and inter-connectedness of all life.

“As a part, you inhere in the Whole. You will vanish into that which gave you birth; or rather, you will be transmuted once more into the creative Reason of the Universe…Always think of the Universe as one living organism, with a single substance and a single Soul; and observe how all things are submitted to the single perceptivity of the One Whole, all are moved by its single impulse, and all play their part in the causation of every event that happens. Remark the intricacy of the skein, the complexity of the web.”

~~~ Marcus Aurelius, “Meditations,” Book 4

Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti is the co-founder of the iconic City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco. Born in 1919, he still goes to work every day.
He wrote this poem in 2007. It is as prescient today as it was then.

“Pity The Nation”
Pity the nation whose people are sheep,
and whose shepherds mislead them.
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced,
and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.
Pity the nation that raises not its voice,
except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero
and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.
Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own
and no other culture but its own.
Pity the nation whose breath is money
and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.
Pity the nation — oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away.
My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty.”

Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti is the co-founder of the iconic City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco. Born in 1919, he still goes to work every day.
He wrote this poem in 2007. It is as prescient today as it was then.

“Pity The Nation”
Pity the nation whose people are sheep,
and whose shepherds mislead them.
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced,
and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.
Pity the nation that raises not its voice,
except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero
and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.
Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own
and no other culture but its own.
Pity the nation whose breath is money
and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.
Pity the nation — oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away.
My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty.”

Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti is the co-founder of the iconic City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco. Born in 1919, he still goes to work every day.
He wrote this poem in 2007. It is as prescient today as it was then.

“Pity The Nation”
Pity the nation whose people are sheep,
and whose shepherds mislead them.
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced,
and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.
Pity the nation that raises not its voice,
except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero
and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.
Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own
and no other culture but its own.
Pity the nation whose breath is money
and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.
Pity the nation — oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away.
My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty.”

Rev. Paul Dodenhoff welcomes attendees to an Evening of Coloring and Mediation at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palisades on Feb. 26. He made a brief discussion about mediation and started the night with mediation chimes before the silent coloring mediation began.

Rev. Paul Dodenhoff welcomes attendees to an Evening of Coloring and Mediation at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palisades on Feb. 26. He made a brief discussion about mediation and started the night with mediation chimes before the silent coloring mediation began.

Rev. Paul Dodenhoff welcomes attendees to an Evening of Coloring and Mediation at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palisades on Feb. 26. He made a brief discussion about mediation and started the night with mediation chimes before the silent coloring mediation began.

The Many Voices Reading Circle will meet June 2 at the home of Sally Cummings. The book discussion will begin at 7:30 p.m. Please call Sally at 201-816-8841 for directions.

The book is “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

From Amazon:

“Readers of his work in The Atlantic and elsewhere know Ta-Nehisi Coates for his thoughtful and influential writing on race in America. Written as a series of letters to his teenaged son, his new memoir, Between the World and Me, walks us through the course of his life, from the tough neighborhoods of Baltimore in his youth, to Howard University—which Coates dubs “The Mecca” for its revelatory community of black students and teachers—to the broader Meccas of New York and Paris. Coates describes his observations and the evolution of his thinking on race, from Malcolm X to his conclusion that race itself is a fabrication, elemental to the concept of American (white) exceptionalism. Ferguson, Trayvon Martin, and South Carolina are not bumps on the road of progress and harmony, but the results of a systemized, ubiquitous threat to “black bodies” in the form of slavery, police brutality, and mass incarceration. Coates is direct and, as usual, uncommonly insightful and original. There are no wasted words. This is a powerful and exceptional book.–Jon Foro”

If you choose to buy this book please consider using the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale will benefit the congregation.

The Many Voices Reading Circle will meet June 2 at the home of Sally Cummings. The book discussion will begin at 7:30 p.m. Please call Sally at 201-816-8841 for directions.

The book is “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

From Amazon:

“Readers of his work in The Atlantic and elsewhere know Ta-Nehisi Coates for his thoughtful and influential writing on race in America. Written as a series of letters to his teenaged son, his new memoir, Between the World and Me, walks us through the course of his life, from the tough neighborhoods of Baltimore in his youth, to Howard University—which Coates dubs “The Mecca” for its revelatory community of black students and teachers—to the broader Meccas of New York and Paris. Coates describes his observations and the evolution of his thinking on race, from Malcolm X to his conclusion that race itself is a fabrication, elemental to the concept of American (white) exceptionalism. Ferguson, Trayvon Martin, and South Carolina are not bumps on the road of progress and harmony, but the results of a systemized, ubiquitous threat to “black bodies” in the form of slavery, police brutality, and mass incarceration. Coates is direct and, as usual, uncommonly insightful and original. There are no wasted words. This is a powerful and exceptional book.–Jon Foro”

If you choose to buy this book please consider using the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale will benefit the congregation.

The Many Voices Reading Circle will meet June 2 at the home of Sally Cummings. The book discussion will begin at 7:30 p.m. Please call Sally at 201-816-8841 for directions.

The book is “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

From Amazon:

“Readers of his work in The Atlantic and elsewhere know Ta-Nehisi Coates for his thoughtful and influential writing on race in America. Written as a series of letters to his teenaged son, his new memoir, Between the World and Me, walks us through the course of his life, from the tough neighborhoods of Baltimore in his youth, to Howard University—which Coates dubs “The Mecca” for its revelatory community of black students and teachers—to the broader Meccas of New York and Paris. Coates describes his observations and the evolution of his thinking on race, from Malcolm X to his conclusion that race itself is a fabrication, elemental to the concept of American (white) exceptionalism. Ferguson, Trayvon Martin, and South Carolina are not bumps on the road of progress and harmony, but the results of a systemized, ubiquitous threat to “black bodies” in the form of slavery, police brutality, and mass incarceration. Coates is direct and, as usual, uncommonly insightful and original. There are no wasted words. This is a powerful and exceptional book.–Jon Foro”

If you choose to buy this book please consider using the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale will benefit the congregation.

The Many Voices Reading Circle will meet March 29th at 7:30 p.m at the home of Sally Cummings. Please contact Sally at 201-816-8841 for directions.

The Book Selection is: Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia. Excerpt from Amazon:

“Impressive . . . [Cristina García’s] story is about three generations of Cuban women and their separate responses to the revolution. Her special feat is to tell it in a style as warm and gentle as the ‘sustaining aromas of vanilla and almond,’ as rhythmic as the music of Beny Moré.”—Time

Cristina García’s acclaimed book is the haunting, bittersweet story of a family experiencing a country’s revolution and the revelations that follow. The lives of Celia del Pino and her husband, daughters, and grandchildren mirror the magical realism of Cuba itself, a landscape of beauty and poverty, idealism and corruption. Dreaming in Cuban is “a work that possesses both the intimacy of a Chekov story and the hallucinatory magic of a novel by Gabriel García Márquez” (The New York Times).

If you choose to buy this book please use the amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale will support the congregation.

The Many Voices Reading Circle will meet March 29th at 7:30 p.m at the home of Sally Cummings. Please contact Sally at 201-816-8841 for directions.

The Book Selection is: Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia. Excerpt from Amazon:

“Impressive . . . [Cristina García’s] story is about three generations of Cuban women and their separate responses to the revolution. Her special feat is to tell it in a style as warm and gentle as the ‘sustaining aromas of vanilla and almond,’ as rhythmic as the music of Beny Moré.”—Time

Cristina García’s acclaimed book is the haunting, bittersweet story of a family experiencing a country’s revolution and the revelations that follow. The lives of Celia del Pino and her husband, daughters, and grandchildren mirror the magical realism of Cuba itself, a landscape of beauty and poverty, idealism and corruption. Dreaming in Cuban is “a work that possesses both the intimacy of a Chekov story and the hallucinatory magic of a novel by Gabriel García Márquez” (The New York Times).

If you choose to buy this book please use the amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale will support the congregation.

The Many Voices Reading Circle will meet March 29th at 7:30 p.m at the home of Sally Cummings. Please contact Sally at 201-816-8841 for directions.

The Book Selection is: Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia. Excerpt from Amazon:

“Impressive . . . [Cristina García’s] story is about three generations of Cuban women and their separate responses to the revolution. Her special feat is to tell it in a style as warm and gentle as the ‘sustaining aromas of vanilla and almond,’ as rhythmic as the music of Beny Moré.”—Time

Cristina García’s acclaimed book is the haunting, bittersweet story of a family experiencing a country’s revolution and the revelations that follow. The lives of Celia del Pino and her husband, daughters, and grandchildren mirror the magical realism of Cuba itself, a landscape of beauty and poverty, idealism and corruption. Dreaming in Cuban is “a work that possesses both the intimacy of a Chekov story and the hallucinatory magic of a novel by Gabriel García Márquez” (The New York Times).

If you choose to buy this book please use the amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale will support the congregation.

Poster by: Liandra Pires

For a preview of the items we are offering, View the catalog here

Poster by: Liandra Pires

For a preview of the items we are offering, View the catalog here

Poster by: Liandra Pires

For a preview of the items we are offering, View the catalog here

The Book selection for the November 29, 2017, Many Voices Reading Circle is “The Summer Book” by Tove Jannson. The voice of young and old by a  Swedish speaking, Finnish author.

An excerpt from Amazon: “This brief novel tells the story of Sophia, a six-year-old girl awakening to existence, and Sophia’s grandmother, nearing the end of hers, as they spend the summer on a tiny unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland. The grandmother is unsentimental and wise, if a little cranky; Sophia is impetuous and volatile, but she tends to her grandmother with the care of a new parent. Together they amble over coastline and forest in easy companionship, build boats from bark, create a miniature Venice, write a fanciful study of local bugs. They discuss things that matter to young and old alike: life, death, the nature of God and of love. “On an island,” thinks the grandmother, “everything is complete.”

Please join us on November 29th at the home of Sally Cummings. For directions and information contact Sally at 201-816-8841.

If you choose to purchase this book please use the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale benefits the congregation.

The Book selection for the November 29, 2017, Many Voices Reading Circle is “The Summer Book” by Tove Jannson. The voice of young and old by a  Swedish speaking, Finnish author.

An excerpt from Amazon: “This brief novel tells the story of Sophia, a six-year-old girl awakening to existence, and Sophia’s grandmother, nearing the end of hers, as they spend the summer on a tiny unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland. The grandmother is unsentimental and wise, if a little cranky; Sophia is impetuous and volatile, but she tends to her grandmother with the care of a new parent. Together they amble over coastline and forest in easy companionship, build boats from bark, create a miniature Venice, write a fanciful study of local bugs. They discuss things that matter to young and old alike: life, death, the nature of God and of love. “On an island,” thinks the grandmother, “everything is complete.”

Please join us on November 29th at the home of Sally Cummings. For directions and information contact Sally at 201-816-8841.

If you choose to purchase this book please use the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale benefits the congregation.

The Book selection for the November 29, 2017, Many Voices Reading Circle is “The Summer Book” by Tove Jannson. The voice of young and old by a  Swedish speaking, Finnish author.

An excerpt from Amazon: “This brief novel tells the story of Sophia, a six-year-old girl awakening to existence, and Sophia’s grandmother, nearing the end of hers, as they spend the summer on a tiny unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland. The grandmother is unsentimental and wise, if a little cranky; Sophia is impetuous and volatile, but she tends to her grandmother with the care of a new parent. Together they amble over coastline and forest in easy companionship, build boats from bark, create a miniature Venice, write a fanciful study of local bugs. They discuss things that matter to young and old alike: life, death, the nature of God and of love. “On an island,” thinks the grandmother, “everything is complete.”

Please join us on November 29th at the home of Sally Cummings. For directions and information contact Sally at 201-816-8841.

If you choose to purchase this book please use the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale benefits the congregation.

Attached media: https://uucpalisades.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Sermon-20160605.mp3

Attached media: https://uucpalisades.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Sermon-20160605.mp3

Attached media: https://uucpalisades.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Sermon-20160605.mp3

Attached media: https://uucpalisades.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Sermon-20160605.mp3

Attached media: https://uucpalisades.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Sermon-20160605.mp3

Attached media: https://uucpalisades.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Sermon-20160605.mp3

The Many Voices Reading Circle will meet May 2 at 7:30 pm. The discussion will take place at the home of Sally Cummings. Please call Sally at 201 841 9290 for further information. If you choose to buy the book please consider a purchase on Amazon, a portion of the sale benefits the congregation.

The book we will be discussing is: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

An excerpt from Amazon:

“The bestselling novel—a love story of race and identity—from the award-winning author of We Should All Be Feminists and Dear Ijeawele.

Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time. Quiet, thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passion—for each other and for their homeland. “

The Many Voices Reading Circle will meet May 2 at 7:30 pm. The discussion will take place at the home of Sally Cummings. Please call Sally at 201 841 9290 for further information. If you choose to buy the book please consider a purchase on Amazon, a portion of the sale benefits the congregation.

The book we will be discussing is: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

An excerpt from Amazon:

“The bestselling novel—a love story of race and identity—from the award-winning author of We Should All Be Feminists and Dear Ijeawele.

Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time. Quiet, thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passion—for each other and for their homeland. “

The Many Voices Reading Circle will meet May 2 at 7:30 pm. The discussion will take place at the home of Sally Cummings. Please call Sally at 201 841 9290 for further information. If you choose to buy the book please consider a purchase on Amazon, a portion of the sale benefits the congregation.

The book we will be discussing is: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

An excerpt from Amazon:

“The bestselling novel—a love story of race and identity—from the award-winning author of We Should All Be Feminists and Dear Ijeawele.

Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time. Quiet, thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passion—for each other and for their homeland. “

Sonja L. Cohen

Sonja L. Cohen

Elaine McArdle

Sonja L. Cohen

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Christopher L. Walton

Sonja L. Cohen

Staff Writer

Christopher L. Walton

Ah summertime, the possibilities! Perhaps you’ve taken some vacation time to recharge yourself, connect with family and friends, and explore the possibilities of the world through an experience or even a book. I hope so!

The Board chose not to meet during the month of July; many of the UCLA staff took some time off, too. Although the Board didn’t meet in- person in July, several items of business came to the forefront and we addressed them through email and in-person communications. First, we updated the officer list for LANB, which involved a surprising amount of paperwork pushing, graciously pushed by our outgoing treasurer, Bill Priedhorsky. Second, we discussed and ultimately approved Tina and the RE Committee’s hiring recommendation for the new Nursery Coordinator.

I want to give thanks to Mike Begnaud for updating all the relevant listservs with new officers and committee members for the new church year, and in general for keeping our electronic church life up-to-date and working smoothly. If you are so inclined (to webpage and/or media work), please reach out to Mike and lend a hand – it’s a simple way to serve that would be appreciated by the congregation.

The next Board and Council meeting will be August 20, 7:00 pm, in the Fellowship Hall.

School and the new church year will be starting soon! So while I am looking forward to our familiar fall routines, I will also keep enjoying the unique and exciting summer Sunday programming at UCLA.

I hope to see you around.

Jamie Civitello
2018-2019 Church President

When did I know that our UU Religious Education for our youth and kids was super important for their growth? When I became a 2nd-3rd grade Religious Education teacher at the UU church in Knoxville, TN.

As a teacher you get to learn right alongside of your students! You get to be creative and plan fun and interactive lessons. You get to play! You get to have great conversations and discussions with kids and youth. You get to explore parts of your brain that you may not explore in your daily life. You get to be a mentor to kids and youth who a lot of the times remember how much you impacted their lives when they reach adulthood!.

We, the RE Committee, are currently recruiting teachers for kids and youth! Please let me, Tina DeYoe, know if you are interested in becoming an RE teacher or a Youth Advisor! This work is very rewarding and important for our kids and youth, especially in our current societal climate, so try it for yourself and see! We would love to have you join our awesome and fun team!

Peace,
Tina DeYoe
Director of Lifespan Religious Education

The Many voices Reading Circle meets at the home of Sally Cummings at 7:30 p.m. The next 2 meetings are scheduled for October 25 and December 13. Please call Sally at 201 841 9290 for directions.

October Book Selection– Church of Lies by Flora Jessop. Excerpt from Amazon: Flora tells the dramatic true story of how she ultimately escaped and has been fighting against frustrating obstacles with hard fought successes in rescuing women and children from the FLDS. It’s a story you can’t put down.

December Book Selection– Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Excerpt from Amazon: Ghana, eighteenth century: two half sisters are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery.

Join us for light refreshments and discussion. If you choose to purchase these books please use the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale benefits the congregation.

The Many voices Reading Circle meets at the home of Sally Cummings at 7:30 p.m. The next 2 meetings are scheduled for October 25 and December 13. Please call Sally at 201 841 9290 for directions.

October Book Selection– Church of Lies by Flora Jessop. Excerpt from Amazon: Flora tells the dramatic true story of how she ultimately escaped and has been fighting against frustrating obstacles with hard fought successes in rescuing women and children from the FLDS. It’s a story you can’t put down.

December Book Selection– Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Excerpt from Amazon: Ghana, eighteenth century: two half sisters are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery.

Join us for light refreshments and discussion. If you choose to purchase these books please use the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale benefits the congregation.

The Many voices Reading Circle meets at the home of Sally Cummings at 7:30 p.m. The next 2 meetings are scheduled for October 25 and December 13. Please call Sally at 201 841 9290 for directions.

October Book Selection– Church of Lies by Flora Jessop. Excerpt from Amazon: Flora tells the dramatic true story of how she ultimately escaped and has been fighting against frustrating obstacles with hard fought successes in rescuing women and children from the FLDS. It’s a story you can’t put down.

December Book Selection– Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Excerpt from Amazon: Ghana, eighteenth century: two half sisters are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery.

Join us for light refreshments and discussion. If you choose to purchase these books please use the Amazon link on this website. A portion of the sale benefits the congregation.

“If you want to build a ship,
don’t drum up people to collect wood
and don’t assign them tasks and work,
but rather teach them to long
for the endless immensity of the sea.”
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery  

Members of the executive board will share their dreams, hopes, and visions for the future of UCMH. After the   [ … ]

The post Sunday, September 23 ~ E-board Reflections: Wake Now My Vision, 10:30am appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

Come drum with us in the glorious light of the full moon at Dexter Drumlin, a glacier drumlin in Lancaster that provides an excellent view of the night sky. Dress warmly, bring a flashlight, a chair or blanket, and a light-weight drum and join us for this popular fall program. For more information and directions to   [ … ]

The post Monday, September 24 ~ Full Moon Drum Circle appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

Sometimes all it takes to keep going is the tiniest bit of support—even a love note less than two inches square to say that you are not alone.

How might you offer just a bit of love and support today, and who might you offer it to?

The Daily Compass offers words and images to inspire spiritual reflection and encourage the creation of a more loving, inclusive and just world. Produced by The Church of the Larger Fellowship, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation with no geographical boundary. Please support the publishing of The Daily Compass by making a $10 or $25 contribution (more if you can, less if you can't)! Thank you for your support!

Do you want to serve on a team to help increase engagement in our beloved congregation through music? Check out the Music Team! Our first meeting of the new church year is next Sunday, Sept. 23, at 5:00 pm. The team will meet in the Fireplace Room at church. Pizza will be provided. Attendees can bring a salad or dessert if they wish. Please join us to help plan Revels and to explore how music can build connections and enrich worship at UUSS. It is very important that you RSVP to Gary at ggriffiths1739@gmail.com.

“Five people with passion can do better than fifty people with mere desire or interest.”
―Israelmore Ayivor

What are you passionate about?

The Daily Compass offers words and images to inspire spiritual reflection and encourage the creation of a more loving, inclusive and just world. Produced by The Church of the Larger Fellowship, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation with no geographical boundary. Please support the publishing of The Daily Compass by making a $10 or $25 contribution (more if you can, less if you can't)! Thank you for your support!